“Gov. Rick Perry leaves office here next week not so much as a man but as the face of an era — a 14-year reign in which he became the state’s longest-serving chief executive and was widely regarded as the most powerful governor in the history of modern Texas.”

“The Cuban government has released 53 dissidents it had promised to free under the accord with Washington to restore diplomatic relations and step up economic exchanges, United States officials said Monday.

The release of the last prisoners on the list was seen as an important indicator of the Cuban government’s commitment to carrying out the agreement, which was announced by President Obama and the Cuban president, Raúl Castro, on Dec. 17.”

A woman passes by a poster that says. ‘The euro is coming to Lithuania soon’ in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Monday.

“Once skeptical of the euro, Lithuanians are now ready to embrace it.

The former Soviet republic will become the 19th member of the common currency on Thursday—underlining its Western ties just as it has also emerged as one of Europe’s loudest critics of Russia.

In June 2013, only 41% of Lithuanians approved of dropping the country’s currency, the litas, according to a survey by pollster Eurobarometer. The latest poll, published in mid-December, shows that backing for the euro has risen to 63%.

Lithuania joined the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 2004, at the same time as neighboring Latvia and Estonia, and it is following both countries in switching to the euro.”

Establishment of Peace & Security in Ukraine, Followed by Rebuilding Ukraine #LetsBuildStrongerUkraine

Italy – #StopOrganizedCrime. Disrupting all of the Organized Crime, Mafia Groups operating in Italy and their counterparts operating in US and Latin America (‘Ndrangheta, Sicilian Mafia, other Organized Crime Groups.) #StopDrugTrafficking

[2]

Proposing a model of Interim Government for holding free and fair elections in Syria – when there are opposing groups and parties. The Model led to formation of close ties among previously opposing groups Hamas and Fatah and the Historic Hamas – Fatah Interim Government. Hamas and Fatah are united with the goal of establishing “Palestine as an Independent Nation”.